The Boys was the only anti-tank rifle to serve with the British Army. It was designed in the mid 1930's when this type of weapon was popular everywhere. It used a bolt action feeding from a top mounted magazine and it all its parts were robust and heavy, but it did weight 36lb (16.5 kg) which was substantial load for one man to carry.
The barrel and breech were mounted on a slide which recoiled along the top of the stock and so absorbed some of the considerable force from the firing a 0.55-in (14mm) round. A muzzle break was also fitted to reduce the recoil still further. The weapon was supported on a monopod at the front and this too has a form of shock absorber built into it. The round was based on a modified US .50 cal cartridge. The case had a belt added to make headspace more easily set up and maintained and also to strengthen the case head to withstand the firing stresses. The neck was expanded to .55 cal to allow a heavier projectile to be used for better effect on armour. The bullet was steel cored, although later versions had a tungsten core. The pictures below show the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle with all its accessories and also 'broken down'
Yes the Brits tried it first and said "Sod that for a game of soldiers!!" and invented the PIAT.
I heard Siesmic Sam was looking for one of those russian ones in the hand cannon variety
This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.
All times are UTC - 6 hours
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum